Social Work and Social Media. Gloria Kirwan Trinity College Dublin July 2014

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Social Work and Social Media. Gloria Kirwan Trinity College Dublin July 2014"

Neil Sutton
8 years ago
Views:

1 Social Work and Social Media Gloria Kirwan Trinity College Dublin July 2014

2 A New World

3 A New Human Skill

4 New Forms of Social Connectivity

5 A new way of being Human Relationships increasingly negotiated through online interaction and digital communication Social media significant in this but also ing Texting Websites Apps Blogs Twitter, etc Requires new social skills, new communication skills, new social awareness, Creates new social possibilities and also new potential pitfalls

Emailing Texting Websites Apps Blogs Twitter, etc Requires new social skills, new

6 New Ways of Interacting with the World Assistive Technologies Access to Information Information Dissemination Global Communication Can enhance many spheres of life: Education Health Business Social Services Politics etc, etc.

Dissemination Global Communication Can enhance many

7 Examples

9 Specific social work examples

10 Online Magazine for Social Workers (also has an app)

11 Twitter

12 Blogs

13 E-therapy definition Online therapy, or e-therapy as it has come to be known, is essentially a communication between a professional and a client via an electronic medium such as an exchange, live chat, video conferencing, or message boards quoted from: Therapy in Your Pajamas? NASW's Private Practice Committee Takes a Look at E- Therapy by Jason Summerfield, MSW At:

exchange, live chat, video conferencing, or message boards quoted from: Therapy in Your Pajamas?

14 Telehealth Definition Telehealth, e-therapy, online therapy, online counseling, tele-medicine, e-counseling, or tele-mental health: all refer to the use of digital technology to provide clinical services, such as assessment and treatment. Telehealth activities may include providing clinical services by telephone, , chats, interactive televideo communications technology such as Skype, or via virtual reality (VR) such as Second Life (SL), to individuals in conjunction with face-to-face (f2f) therapy or with no in-person contact Zur Institute at

Telehealth activities may include providing clinical services by telephone, email, chats, interactive televideo communications technology such as

15 Assistive Technology The field of Assistive Technology (AT) concerns the practical tools that can support functional needs of people who experience difficulties linked to disability or ageing. It encompasses a broad spectrum of low tech and high tech technologies, for example, walking frames, wheelchairs, hearing aids, vision aids and computer-based communication aids. These technologies play a crucial role in enabling independent living and access to education and employment Extract from report commissioned by the National Disability Authority available at: A4D0031A2B6?OpenDocument

It encompasses a broad spectrum of low tech and high tech technologies, for example, walking frames, wheelchairs, hearing aids, vision aids and computer-based

16 Implications for Social Work Social Work is concerned with individuals, group, communities, societies and cultures Digital communication offers endless possibilities for connecting with each of these categories New social space(s) social work must be there.

communication offers endless possibilities for connecting with

17 Digital Communication and Social Work Information-giving Support Counselling Advocacy Groupwork Networking Research CPD

18 Examples of Online Services in Health and Social Care Spheres Google Online Counselling reveals list of possibilities Ask the Internet Therapist : ts/darlene-albury/ Wide variation in types and standards of services that are offered

php Google Online Counselling reveals list of possibilities Ask the Internet

19 E-Professionalism the attitudes and behaviors reflecting traditional professionalism paradigms that are manifested through social media Cain, J., Romanelli, F. (2009). E-professionalism: A new paradigm for a digital age. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning, 1 (2),

20 Examples of Irish Research on e-professionalism and social work Kirwan & Mc Guckin (2013). Professional Reputation and Identity in the Online World. Kirwan & Mc Guckin (2014). Digital Natives or Digitally Naïve? E- professionalism and ethical dilemmas among newly graduated teachers and social workers in Ireland. We explored how social workers and teachers conceptualised and incorporated asynchronous technologies into their professional and private spheres. Interested in: Formation, Maintenance and Ending of Online Relationships And Flows of Information (LaMendola, 2010) = ways of giving and receiving information. We interpreted this in terms of disclosure, information-sharing, agreeing/disagreeing; supporting/disputing comments or posts expressed digitally.

We explored how social workers and teachers conceptualised and incorporated asynchronous technologies into their professional and private spheres.

21 Professional Identity Research Not possible to observe impact of social media on practitioners without incorporating a perspective on professional identity. What is it to be a professional? We took the view that being a professional is when a person has attained the necessary knowledge, skills and values to practice, has been objectively tested and has signed up to being a member of the profession. Social Roles and Social Obligations: Trustworthy Safe Expert Skillful - Honest - Careful, Reliable

22 Research Some of the Research Findings: Wide range of levels of social media usage found among participants: active/inactive; low high usage; wide/confined spread of sites. The issue of friending featured prominently in some of the discussions Lack of Guidance in Ethical Codes

23 Friending Should professionals interact, befriend or generally communicate with current, previous or potential clients/service-users online? Full spectrum of answers from yes to definite no: From Can t avoid contact with service users if active online To Have to ensure that there is no boundary confusion so avoid such contact at all costs

24 Friending In your view what is the correct action to take if: Your Facebook friend comes to your employing agency for a service what do you do? Does it make a difference if they are a voluntary or involuntary client of your agency?

25 Friending A client you have worked with for 6 months finds you on Facebook and invites you to be their friend. Does it make a difference if you have worked with them for a longer or shorter period of time? Does it make a difference if you have terminated your social work intervention before they contact you online?

26 Friending You discover that your Facebook friend is a close relative of one of your clients

27 Friending You inadvertently discover information about a client through social media which is relevant to your work with them. For example, you are counselling a client re an addiction problem but view photos posted online by an online friend in which your client features and in which they appear to be inebriated.

28 Value Base Professional Integrity is related to the trustworthiness and reliability of the professional Most professions operate from a value base that is articulated and which informs the profession s code of ethics Gap now exists in many social work codes on the topic of social media usage or the wider use by social workers of digital communication technologies

29 Addressing the Deficit The Association of Social Work Boards has established an International Technology Task Force. More details at: nology-task-force/

30 Aims of the ASWB Task Force The stated aims of the ASWB Task Force are: To create the model technology practice standards for social work professionals and the organizations in which they practice To explore the role of social media in both the professional practice and personal lives of social workers throughout the world creating model social media practice standards for social work professionals and the organizations in which they practice To explore all possible professional regulatory implications on the use of technology and social media in social work practice and education creating model practice standards to be incorporated into the ASWB Model Social Work Practice Act

31 Ethical Issues The use of electronic communication and social media raise many ethical issues including: Confidentiality is this possible in an online context and how should it be managed? Boundaries what forms of relationship are acceptable between service user and social worker in a digital context Assessment of Capacity for Informed Consent Location and accessibility of social worker if client is in crisis = Cross- Jurisdictional issues. For slide presentation see content/uploads/2013/11/delegateassemblypresentation- InternationalTechnologyTaskForce.pdf

32 References Kirwan, G.(2012). Social media, e-professionalism and netiquette in social work. Irish Social Worker, Autumn (2012): Kirwan & Mc Guckin (2013). Professional Reputation and Identity in the Online World. International Review of Information Ethics, 19, 47-51, July Kirwan & Mc Guckin (2014). Digital Natives or Digitally Naïve? E-professionalism and ethical dilemmas among newly graduated teachers and social workers in Ireland. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 32(1) Reamer, F. (2013) Social Work in a Digital Age: Ethical and Risk Management Challenges. Social Work, 58(2),

33 Thank You Gloria Kirwan

STANDARDS FOR TECHNOLOGY USE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

STANDARDS FOR TECHNOLOGY USE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE Adopted February 3, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Standards for Technology Use in Social Work Practice 2 Definitions 3 Rationale 4 Standards